Interviews

An interview with Dior’s beauty addict Peter Philips about his vision, why he loves his job and what makes it so appealing for him. Written by Georgette Koning for Mirror Mirror.

I ask Peter Philips what his average day looks like. “I am busy, busy, busy all the time. It’s a challenge to keep to an agenda,” says the Creative and Image Director of DiorMakeup. Since 2014 the Antwerp-born Philips has overseen not just the creation and formulation of the Dior brand’s globally stocked makeup products, he also creates runway beauty looks for the ready-to-wear collections, couture and pre shows. Throughout the year he also conceptualises and shoots ad campaigns for which he continually travels around the globe. Besides all of the above, the visionary image-maker collaborates with the great Raf Simons, Karl Lagerfeld, Dries Van Noten and others by creating their runways beauty looks.

When the eternally travelling makeup artist is resident in Paris, he works at his huge office situated on the eighth floor in rue de Téhéran, dubbed by Philips ‘the beauty building’. In the same building you can find the Dior perfume lab and the art direction department. Philips’ downstairs neighbour is Dior perfumer François Demachy. The fashion department, with Maria Grazia Chiuri at the helm, is based at the Avenue Montaigne.

While Peter Philips’ – roguish face, crew cut, talkative - office is in Paris, the Dior laboratories are located near Orléans in an area known as Cosmetic Valley. “Sometimes I go over there, but everybody loves to come to Paris with their suitcases full of samples in response to my briefs.”

 As an autodidact I found my way around and my own style

Peter Philips shares his office - ‘it’s messy, but I understand my chaos’ - with two assistants. With one of them he brainstorms his ideas. “He kind of moulds them in a format that’s understandable for other people. (Laughs). He also helps me with my computer. I am not very good with that.” His other assistant takes care of communication and plans meetings and interviews. “This gives me some peace to work on the collections.”

Peter Philips grew up in Antwerp, where his parents run a delicatessen butchery. He says that as a child he was as an outsider. Saturday afternoons he was glued to the tube, whilehis peers preferred to play outside. Even as a young boy Philips was obsessed with Hollywood movies and studied stars like Katherine Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers who, according to him, all looked fantastic.

My vision does not just stop at the face

Het got another early taste of the fashion world, via his father’s butcher shop that is located close to the prestigious Royal Academy Antwerp, as all kinds of ‘birds of paradise’ went there to get their sandwiches.

Later, as a young fashion student at the acadamy, Philips looked up to Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten, who he used to see walking around school. He closely followed the careers of the Antwerp Six and will work with them later.

After his graduation in 1993, Philips started as a self-taught freelance makeup artist. In between jobs he experimented a lot working with former classmates, the now famous stylist Olivier Rizzo and top photographer Willy Vanderperre. “I started rather late focusing on being a makeup artist, I had no knowledge or experience. Until recently my makeup remained very graphic. I did a lot of masks and applications. I did tons and tons of really experimental and very graphic makeup on men at a time when nobody did makeup on men. As an autodidact I found my way around and my own style. I think that is also what attracted the people that asked me to become their creative director.”

In 2008 Philips was approached by Chanel, where until 2013, he was responsible for a string of successes - including Rouge Coco. In 2014 he joined Dior.

What is it that makes you love your job?

“Versatility. I have a broad portfolio. My vision does not just stop at the face. Why I love my job, and what makes it so appealing for me, is that I am actually involved in creating a product from scratch. It starts with my own ideas, which I share with my marketing team and laboratory. After seeing its development and use, I can tell the story about how it evolved and make visuals around it. Yeah, it’s the whole process that I love from the beginning to the end.”

Today the media launch makeup artist as stars. How do you cope with that?

“When I started in Belgium I could not even register myself as a makeup artist because the job was not recognised. I was registered as a stylist.

“I never went into this craft to become a star, I just love doing makeup. I remember when there were no interviews backstage, or maybe occasionally for a local newspaper. That changed when Fashion TV started filming backstage. It really annoyed me: ‘leave me alone I’m doing my job’! But I learned to live with (it).”

Isn’t it also a positive thing that the world of beauty is more open?

Well actually I really appreciate the fact that openness made beauty very democratic, very accessible. When I was young I loved the fact that backstage was an exclusive and almost an elite place. Now it has opened so many doors for so many people and pushed creativity. Because the whole world is watching you have to be innovative. It’s a fascinating sign of the times and it reflects what is happening at this moment.”

When joining Dior, what did you know about Christian Dior in relation to makeup?

“As a former fashion student I knew how he reinvented luxury after the Second World War. In that really dark period Dior did not only show beautiful dresses, he literally perfumed the catwalk with Miss Dior and created lipsticks almost from day one. He was more than just a dressmaker. Dior had a complete beauty vision for women by adding accessories, perfumes and makeup.

“Most important for me is the fact that Dior stood for a new look. The New Look concept is something that has been evolving and that gave every Dior creator after Christina Dior died in 1957 the possibility to really use the Dior platform to create their own new looks. This is true for all his successors: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri. Each and every one of them have there own style but they still are Dior, because the new look is the DNA of the house. Maria Grazia has a more feminine approach than Raf Simons who was more conceptual. Galliano was bolder. You could say that he was literally inspired by the Gruau campaign drawings.”

You mention Gruau who illustrated so many legendary Dior campaigns. Did he inspire you?

“When creating one of my first palettes, a blush palette which I think was only released in Asia. I actually used a typo that you can find in one of Gruau’s drawings he did in the seventies. After Dior passed away Gruau kept on working for the house. His drawings are amazing, timeless.”

You also have a graphic design background which I suppose comes in handy?

“In the eighties I studied graphic design at Sint-Lukas in Brussels and had a great education. I learned more than graphic design. Before the computer (laughs), everything was manual. I learned photography and developing pictures, set building and how to do light. I designed stages, composed campaigns and screen printed. In only one day I had to make ‘flash’ campaigns for a certain product including advertisements for newspapers and billboards. I learned how to be alert and creative. It has always helped me in my job as creative director and when doing shoots.”

How do you translate your Dior makeup vision into actual makeup, ad campaigns and shows?

“They all require a different approach. For my makeup collections I work almost a year or year and a half ahead. I get inspiration mainly from the concept of beauty itself – of women and beauty. I want to make collections that are creative, but at the same time useful. So it is nice to find the balance between a beautiful collection with a creative aura, but that at the same time offers beauty products that guarantee beauty. It’s not just about spectacular or funny shades, but also about a woman being able to find an eye shadow palette that guarantees beauty. So collections are not guided by fashion, but purely by beauty.”

How about the Dior beauty campaigns?

“I work from a beauty point of view and I also try to respect the vision of the fashion department. This week I shot the Dior spring summer 2018 ad campaign so it was about anticipating and following my guts. I question myself: what will be in sync with the vision of the designer as well as what is going to happen with the perfumes. And, of course, I think about my own vision.

“I always keep in mind that the Dior beauty woman is not necessarily exactly the same as the Dior fashion woman, who has a much broader range. The Dior beauty woman loves our vision on nude and color, but she is also kind of hard to describe because she is so multifaceted - less rigid then some other houses, very broad. If you go to a Dior counter you’ll see women of all ages from very young to more mature, from very discretely stylish understated looks, to very bold and colorful personalities. That’s the strength of our house and that is what my vision on beauty has to underline.”

And when doing shows?

“I am totally at the service of Diors’ creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri. It’s not the Peter Philips show! I’m always at the service of the designer’s vision. I understood this right away when I started. My big advantage is my fashion background. I know how passionate designers are when they want to tell their story. The first time I ever did a show in Paris as a makeup artist – it was for Oliver Theyskens – I knew straight away that I was there to enhance his vision and make it even stronger.”

Do they also want you to experiment?

“Of course! That’s why I am booked. I don’t necessarily get a makeup briefing. Designers tell their story and then I have to use my creativity and my expertise to help them complete a certain image.

“When Maria Grazia talked about her first Dior ready-to-wear collection, she wanted to put forward a young girl, a younger woman. I was very much inspired by her casting of lots of boyish girls and the way she talked about beauty and pureness. The Dior Haute Couture show SS 2017 showed the same type of girl: very glowy, lubricated skin, healthy looking. As an ‘accessory’ I applied stars in the corner of their eyes. Some girls looked more ‘fantasy’ with stardust over the face, others more punk with a black star in the inner corner of the eye, or dreamy with silver or gold stars under their eyes.”

Your profession has evolved thanks to social media: I remember a cute stop motion movie you did for Chanel in 2011.

“The first film I made for Dior’s digital platform was a never ending loop around Rouge Dior. I used 8 Rouge Dior lipsticks, because 8 was Christian Dior’s lucky number and 8 is a never ending loop. The movie shows a close up of a mouth that says in a very seductive – like how a hostess announces your flight is delayed – ‘Rouge Dióóór’ in sultry French and Japanese. Very funny.”

You just turned 50, how does that feel?

“Haha what do you think? I like to say… in a way it is strange, the number does not fit how I feel in my head. Of course physically I feel it and I really have to go to the gym because if I only look at a piece of pie I gain two kilo’s. A nightmare! Luckily I quit smoking many years ago. How do I still stay focused? My job is very varied. The shoots are so much fun, I work with different photographers… It kind of keeps me young. I work with models who are 17, 18 years old. I really stay in touch with the young kids. All the time I meet so many interesting people.”

You’re very ambitious in your work, but is there something else you want to do?

“There is one thing, I still did not find a way to get more time for myself. More ‘me time’, spend time with my family. I am still too addicted to beauty. But maybe I should consider doing shoots as ‘me time’ because I truly enjoy shooting, it is almost like a hobby for me.”

So what is the downside of your job?

“There’s always pressure, though luckily I can easily switch off my makeup obsession. When I come home, and put my beauty case aside, I don’t even think about work any more. That must be my strength. I can easily switch the beauty button off and can intensely enjoy the few moments I am free. It’s easy to recharge.

“I realise that I am very fortunate and count my blessings every day. I’ve been very lucky in the choices I made.”

This article is published in Mirror Mirror. You can order your copy in the shop of this site.

The book Dior, the Art of Color features imagery from each of the three makeup artists who have worked with Dior through the years: Serge Lutens, Tyen, and Peter Philips. €110. Rizzoli.

In 2012 Negin Mirsalehi launched her Instagram account and now 4 million followers later the fashion blogger is steadily building her own empire. The first feather to her bow is the honey infused hair care brand: Gisou. A brand which harnesses a unique combination of family values (the honey used in the products is straight outta her own fathers’ bee garden) - alongside on trend/so instagrammable it hurts beauty products. We talk to Negin about how it all started, how she juggles her many projects and of course, bees. Interview by Jade Thompson.

We try to schedule the most important meetings when I am in the country in order for everything to be handled smoothly.

For those who are unfamiliar with Gisou could you explain the origins of your beauty brand?

Gisou believes that honey is without a doubt a magical product due to its incredible moisturising and softening properties. Beekeeping has been in my family for six generations: my father learned to keep bees from his father, who was taught by my great-grandfather and so on. My mother is a hairdresser who, unimpressed with the hair products available, experimented by making her own haircare solutions. As a beekeeper’s wife, she had discovered the health benefits of honey and how its’ moisturising and softening properties work wonders on the hair. So she developed her own formula, using as many natural ingredients as possible – with the honey from the Mirsalehi bee garden as the key component.

The story continues with me bringing together my love for beauty, nature and family with the launch of Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil - sharing my mother’s secret formula that she has been using on her own hair for years. We launched our first product in November 2015, the Gisou Honey Infused Hair Oil, followed-up by the Propolis Infused Heat Protecting Spray.

What makes Gisou stand out amongst the influx of new natural and independent beauty companies?

I knew that the story was of a special nature - however I never thought that people would be [so] interested in bees or the bee story behind the brand [but] I definitely believe that people can resonate with the story, as it is very authentic and real. I try to share my personal story via my Instagram account and YouTube channel, where my followers can see me work in my father’s bee garden or my moments with my mom when she is doing my hair.

I want to share an authentic and personal story, with the message: ‘Healthy hair is beautiful hair’. Taking good care of your hair is the initial step to healthier and shinier locks.

Photo credit: Gisou

Has owning a beauty brand always been a long-term goal for you?

Gisou has been born naturally out of my passion for bees, the bee garden, and beauty. Four years ago, when I started on Instagram with inspirational fashion posts, I acknowledged that a lot of people were interested in my hair. After receiving so many questions about my hair, I had something to offer and I decided to share the healing powers of bee products.

Many people think of bees as a hazard but I promise you, they are not just buzzing around

Currently the extinction of bees is a topical subject, what are your thoughts on this and does Gisou have any sustainability tips for anyone who might also be concerned about this?

A lot of people underestimate the hard work of the bees on our planet. Bees are responsible for pollination. The food that we consume every day relies on pollination by bees. I would advise people to plant as many bee-friendly plants and flowers as they can. Many people think of bees as a hazard but I promise you, they are not just buzzing around, they actually have a very important purpose in our life. Without them we wouldn’t be able to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

How easy is it to manage the demands on your time now you have to juggle both your blog and Gisou?

It is definitely not easy, I travel a lot so the contact between my team and I has to be very close and consistent in order for me to stay up-to-date about everything that is happening at the office. We try to schedule the most important meetings when I am in the country in order for everything to be handled smoothly.

Honey is a major ingredient in your products, are there any other ways that you include honey in your beauty regime?

I always use honey for different purposes, the rich taste of my father’s honey is incomparable to any other. I’d smear it on homemade bread, stir it in my lukewarm tea, or simply eat it as a treat. Honey is nature’s own sweetener and the first natural sugar to be recorded in history. My father strongly believes in the power of honey, which is why he always told me to have one teaspoon every morning - according to him, it really is the best medicine. Honey didn’t just satisfy our taste buds, my mother used it as a natural antiseptic too - it soothed our sore throats and treated our cuts and scratches. I try to use honey in my beauty regime by incorporating it in my face and hair masks for more moisture and hydration.

Photo Credit: Gisou

What advice would you give to anyone hoping to launch their own beauty brand?

I believe that success starts with passion; I was lucky enough to have found my passion during my study in Business Administration and Marketing. But without perseverance and dedication I would have never been where I am at the moment. Strive for your goals no matter what and surround yourself with people who support you in this. Planning and market research can be of essence before you start something.

What’s the next step for Gisou?

We’ve launched two products that are both based on bee products: honey and propolis. We will continue to add the benefits of bee products in more care and styling products. We’ll pursue offering more high quality bee based hair products this year, to create a globally renowned label.

This year is going to be a very exciting one for Gisou because we’ve got a lot of big plans - so keep an eye out on our social media and website!

To find out more about Gisou check out their website and follow on Instagram. Stay up-to-date with Negin via her website.

It’s late afternoon at Hunting and Collecting, in the Dansaert neighborhood of Brussels. At the back of this Belgian concept store, Stromae aka Paul Van Haver presents his third Stromae X Mosaert collectionhe designed with his wife Coralie Barbier. Their third capsule is inspired by the Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher, known for his mathematical artwork. Mosaert is a global art project spanning music, images and textile. The spirit of their line of unisex playful clothes, explores lounge wear; polo shirts, socks and joggers in lush velvets printed with geometric patterns and heritage style florals).

Your look has changed lately.

“Coralie is known to be attractive without ever falling into the vulgar, and the result is super cute. She found a balance that is very touching; it makes me think of the Miu-Miu universe. For me it is quite similar, except for my stage costumes, which are more flamboyant. Dress is also a way to express ourselves at a very specific time. I am in transition. For example, I’ve started wearing a cap. I feel the urge to express a new maturity, and I do this is through more sober colors; burgundy, gray, navy blue”.

Under the cap, you let your hair grow?

“Yes, I want to change my hair. I'm 31, I’ve arrived at a certain point of maturity. It is also the end of Racine Carrée, (released digitally on 16 August 2013), I am opening a new chapter in my life. I was 25 when all this started, and I’ve been in a comfort zone ever since; when you come on the stage wearing a bow tie, you don’t take a lot of risk. At first maybe a little, but in the end, you're just repeating yourself. I'm not criticizing everything I did, I just needed a change”.

What would you put in a common locker room for men and women?

“I'm a little jealous of the wardrobe of women. There is much less scope for men, except in niche brands. The gay scene is rather pioneering in that area. I didn’t want to fall into the extreme; to dress like a woman, it is the balance between the two that interests me. I do not have any sexual ambiguity, but there’s no problem with the subject”.

What woman would you have been?

“Basically, if I was a woman, I’d dress androgynously. The real evolution of society is that after women started to dress like men, those same men dug into the feminine wardrobe. Otherwise, we are not equal. And finally, ideally equal rights but different nonetheless: I would not wear a bra, …any more (laughs)”.

John Galliano described him as “part painter, part stylist, part pirate”. Julien d’Ys considers himself as a multi-media artist. Hell yes! He’s a stand out creative director, makeup artist, photographer, painter and set designer. As a celebrated hair master he’s been defying convention for over three decades with his creations for the likes of Chanel, Azzedine Alaïa, Balenciaga and Lanvin. Since 1979 he’s been inextricably linked with Comme des Garçons and its founder Rei Kawakubo. Julien d’Ys calls their relationship magical. “She pushes me to go very far.”

Pierrick Le Verge, which is his real name, was born in 1955 in France. From his early beginnings until now, he’s impressed the fashion industry with the most visionary creativity from oiled black wigs, and towering neon yellow bouffants, to candy-floss creations smothered in safety pins. The hair master thinks nothing of it.

Julien d’Ys has always worn his own hair long - except when he was a small boy. “It was cut short and I hated it!” laughs d’Ys. He grew up in Brittany, were he lived until the age of 12. “As a kid I was a bit difficult, I never wanted to be an adult.”

He always loved to create things. At first he wanted to get into architecture, or be a stylist. “Later I decided against it. I had this gift to create, so I started with hair.”

With his long mane, and signature period-style coats, Julien d’Ys looks like he just walked straight out of the Dutch Golden Age. He often feels like he’s a reincarnation from the 17th or 18th century. “I love those times, there was inspiring beauty in everything. The clothes, the architecture, the way people took care of themselves a little bit more. One’s coiffure was of the utmost importance, and people wore incredible wigs, like hats of hair. Think of the extravagant Marie Antoinette. People looked sensational in 17th century Paris! Even in the 20th century, they would go to the Opera all dressed up, and women were obliged to wear wigs. It was like a fairy story, a dream fantasy.”

Ah yes, wigs. D’Ys makes them. No he has never been a wig collector. The only antique wig he owns is a Marie Antoinette style, a gift from the Paris Opéra Garnier. D’Ys used it in 2004 for Madonna’s Re-Invention. With a sky-high coiffure the Queen of Pop was photographed by Steven Meisel, for her World Tour promotional posters.

Since 2005 d’Ys has been creating unique wigs for The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. D’Ys created the most quixotic conceptions for The Model as Muse,and the AngloMania exhibitions.

Julien d’Ys atelier is in Paris in the center of the popular Marais district. When entering the enormous century-old mansion with six-meter high ceilings, you see an office, and a lot of small rooms. The largest room is d’Ys atelier where the magic happens.Curious how it looks, and how d’Ys works? Check the YouTube video made for The Model as Muse exhibition in New York. “When I arrived [at the studio], in downtown New York, it was an empty white space. Within two days I made it my home, like my atelier, with paintings, wigs, sketches, and photos; the space was metamorphosed by my creativity and inspiration. I even transformed my hotel bedroom into d’Ys style. Everywhere I go, it’s like this.”

D’Ys presumes he inherited his eye for beauty from his mother. “She was my inspiration. She had amazing style and was very beautiful. She had people making clothes for her, and hats too; she loved fashion and to look ‘en vogue’. When in the 50s she saw models with short hair, she went to the barbers for a haircut. She always wore her hair short after that.

“The last time I cut the hair of French actress Laetitia Casta, she asked for short hair because she wanted a new look. I showed her a picture of my mother when she was young, and Laetitia wanted the same cut. It was very elegant and not at all masculine.

When I do hair, I look at the face and personality first, and then I know right away what is going to work. A bad coiffure can destroy a person completely, and I am shocked when I see a beautiful woman spoiled by a horrible haircut.”

For a fashion show you look at the clothes, not the person.

“Yes but the way I work for Comme des Garçons, the hair is a reflection of the clothes. Indeed, the hair is an essential component of the creative expression. A show must tell a story and make people dream. Music, hair, models, makeup, lighting, the space; for CDG everything always works together - every element interconnects.”

You like to make people dream. How important is that now and when did you start?

“Now and always! I think I realized this was important when I started working on special beauty shoots with the American photographer Irving Penn. He always brought fantasy and the makeup was very important, as was the hair, the model and the styling. Then I realized we were making a dream picture each time.

When I see pictures from 15 years ago, they’re not at all dated; they’re all still very strong, relevant and timeless. Last week I worked on a fashion story for American Vogue, I used flowers to create a flower woman, and it was beautiful. I just played with flowers like they were hair.”

How would you describe your beauty style?

“I think it’s timeless, I’m a romantic, that’s why I love the 17th century. But I don’t subscribe to a period or a certain time for influence, let alone trends.”

Did you have inspiring ‘hair’ heroes when you started out?

“Not really. But I always liked ancient mythology; the Egyptian Empire, and Marie Antoinette. I’ve always loved the 40s woman, the style was beautiful. There was French woman called Cléo de Mérode, she was the muse of all the sculptors and painters, on pictures she looks beautiful with long dark curly hair. But special heroes? No, I love people with a strong character.”

What do you think of today’s universal glamour look?

“I like it when women are very feminine. But the trend for hair right now is like ‘no style’, it’s just natural! The look is very long and shaggy hair; it’s like the woman I created for Peter Lindbergh 20 years ago when we were shooting all the supermodels.

Where makeup is concerned, it’s often too much; too much warpaint. It seems to be a trend for many young girls to wear too much makeup, wanting to look like a Kardashian, especially in America.”

Do you like what has been happening on the catwalks over the last ten, twenty years?

“I don’t think so… everything is very fast and commercial. All the models look the same! The clothes too! The shows move so fast and all the girls go boom, boom, boom. Luckily some designers differ; Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, and Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld always work with a concept for their shows. The reason I like working with them is because they want something special.”

What’s the magic that keeps you going back to CDG each time?

“She [Rei Kawakubo] trusts me so much and she likes the way I work, so that’s why I’ve been doing all the makeup and hair for years. I think the collaboration between us is very magical. It’s always interesting because she pushes me, to the edge and beyond. It’s quite ceremonial too when I work with her, and the team from Japan is super professional. I create the drawings, and then I have to bring them to life!”

Do you feel a pressure then?

“A little bit, but I prefer working with deadlines. If something is slow, I don’t like it. For example I recently did a photography story with Michèle Lamy for Odda magazine. We started at 11am and finished at 4.30pm. In that short time we did 8 looks! I know exactly what I like and that’s why it goes boom boom boom.”

Besides Comme des Garçons you rarely do fashion shows.

“Last year I did a Lanvin campaign and show. At Lanvin they like my creativity a lot, and what I did was perfect for the show, and it worked with the collection. But it is difficult to do other shows because it’s so good with CDG. Also, working with others takes too much time and energy. And, I need to be connected with the people I work with. I like Albert Elbaz a lot, but we don’t have the same kind of connection I have with Rei Kawakubo.”

You used to work a lot with John Galliano who once described you as, “part painter, part stylist and part pirate”… What about that pirate part?

“I think it’s my blood… pirate blood from Brittany. I am a little rebellious, and I think I have some pirate or Viking in my blood. I’ve always liked the idea of being a pirate because my grandfather was a fisherman and sold lobsters to Africa, yes it’s in my blood.”

Isn’t it a pity you don’t work with John Galliano anymore?

“It is a shame I don’t work with Galliano anymore. I love to share my ideas with him but now… I don’t know. No. I don’t want to ask him, I don’t like asking people. If they want me, they want me, and they will come to me.”

When Grace Coddington called and asked you to do a shoot with Kendall Jenner for American Vogue you did it!

“I was shocked at first, but yes I did it! I don’t much like the Kardashians reality show of their everyday life, although I admit I’ve never watched it! Grace really wanted me to do the pictures with her; she was really pushing. I did a very 1920s Chanel style shoot at Coco Chanel’s Paris apartment. By the way I like Karl Lagerfeld a lot, he is very much like my grandfather. That’s why I was very gracious.”

What is your project at the moment?

“I just photographed Michèle Lamy for Odda, an independent fashion magazine, she and I are like two crazy artists. The images are exceptionally strong. I call the way I work punk classicism: it’s very traditional and very Dada. For this story I wasn’t just the photographer - I did everything: styling, hair and the makeup. Now I’m working on the layout and compiling the pictures.”

Do you want to do more photography?

“Yes, I do like to create images, and play with color, it’s like photographic painting and fascinating. However, I don’t like the technique, or the camera, but I’m getting used to it. I don’t want to be called a photographer because it is only one part of what I do. I am more artistic. But all my life I’ve worked with photographers and now, what I see, I can do. Recently I’ve done about four stories, for Love Magazine among others.”

I love your sketchbooks, you must have a lot?

“Yes, hundreds! I started sketching in books in the 80s. In the beginning they were very small, but in the 90s I started using a bigger format and now they are all like that. I have so many! I want to publish them! It’s one of my future projects because it would be very interesting [for the public] as I have so many images from the shows I’ve done.”

What would stop you doing hair?

“I will never stop working with hair! I just want to work with people I love, and I’m so good with hair and the creativity of hair so I don’t think I will ever stop, but I have started with photography. I have a lot of plans, there’s a good energy right now! I feel I’ve changed over the last months. For some reason, I want to interact more now, and get involved in more art projects… sometimes I’m too much of recluse.”

Go Fashion Organic

How badly did Sara Wallander want a conscious beauty collection? “Very much, it was time!” And it felt super natural for H&M’s concept designer to make it an organic body and hair care line. After all, the Swedish retailer already sells organic fashion.

Concept designer Sara Wallander has been working from scratch on the development of the certified organic beauty products since 2012. The Swede describes the process as really hard work. The biggest concern was finding the right suppliers and packaging, and to come up with products that customers want. Wallander: “There is nothing more unconscious than a product nobody wants, even when it’s ethically sourced.” The real challenge was to create the scents for the body line, explains Wallander. “Since you add such a small amount of essential oils to the high volume of organic content, it’s tricky to produce a good smell.”

Sara, how sustainable are you in daily life? “I try to be as conscious as possible in my choices.

"I buy organic food, don’t have a car, rarely eat meat, and don’t wash my clothes too often, so that they last longer. I also make my own scented oil and other beauty products.”

H&M already sells beauty products, how do we spot the conscious line?

“It’s totally different from the existing beauty collection which has the H&M logo in gold. The conscious line packaging is vibrant and color-coded; lilac blue for the calming products with lavender, and yellow for the energizing line with vitalizing fruity notes. The facemasks are in nice silver aluminum jars. We didn’t want to make the line look brown or green; that’s so very cliché.”

The regular H&M beauty line numbers over 700 products - a lot. This doesn’t sound very sustainable. Why not produce fewer items?

“It sounds like a lot, but the high number comes from all the color variations. In nail polish we have 200 colors. In terms of products, it’s less than it sounds. We can’t go completely conscious with the regular range but we do try to go as far as possible, and follow a chemical restriction list, which is very strict. I just want people to consume more consciously, and make things last. We do our best to be as conscious as we can. Hopefully more companies will follow.”

Since 2002, the influential American has been Kanye West's creative director and advisor on West's tour merchandise and label Yeezy. Abloh is also a DJ, architect, director and mastermind behind his own high-end men’s and womenswear brand Off-White. His clients include everyone from Justin Bieber to Beyoncé.

Where does beauty hide? We asked the stars whisperer.

“Beauty nowadays is all about culture, and defining yourself. I would describe the evolution of my own look like this: I grew up in the 90s, in Chicago and for 8 years I was totally into skateboarding and wore hoodies and Vans. My first strong image and icon was Michael Jordan. For my now defunct streetwear label Pyrex Vision, I printed ‘23’ (Jordan’s number) on flannels.

I don’t know if I am a beauty person. I’m more about beautiful irony.

Over the years I’ve been a huge fan and collector of Raf Simons, his work is art to me. It’s an obvious reflection in my collections now. For my new brand Off-White, it's all about urban culture, mixed with Antwerp fashion.

I don't know if I am a beauty person. I'm more about beautiful irony. Two unexpected things scratching together that say something else. That's beauty to me. If I could change one thing about myself? Then it would get all fucked up! So I’ll leave it as it is.”

Christelle Kocher's debut show for Koché, was one of the highlights of Paris Fashion Week last October. Deep in the bowels of the busy Les Halles shopping center her show featured both models and girls scouted from the street.

Christelle Kocher, who is also the Creative Director of couture supplier Maison Lemarié, likes to mix things up. Her streetwear-meets-couture label is one to watch in 2016. Born in Strasbourg, Kocher is a fashion graduate of London’s Central Saint Martins. "I was fascinated by England at the time," she says from her office in the two story Koché studio, in a quiet back alley of the Paris Belleville neighborhood. "I loved designers like McQueen and Galliano, and I was into British contemporary art and music. London was calling me, and so I went. I stayed for almost four years, and there was always something going on.

Creativity should also be a response to violence and terror.

Kocher went from London to Milan, where she worked for Emporio Armani, and then to Paris at Martine Sitbon, Chloé and Sonia Rykiel. In Antwerp she worked for Dries Van Noten. "Dries is one of the few independent designers today with a vision - a spirit. I adored working with Dries, but at the same time I missed my friends in Paris. I had also got used to the work pace at bigger brands. Dries only does two women's collections a year. It's a slower rhythm." Kocher, it should be noted, has no qualms about the heavy workloads in the fashion industry. And sure enough, back in Paris, she accepted two jobs, designing the women's ready to wear and pre-collections for Bottega Veneta with Tomas Maier, and heading up Maison Lemarié, a Chanel-owned haute couture supplier. Since 1880, Lemarié has produced luxury feather and flower creations, as well as smocking, pleats and ruffles, and is known for Chanel's camellias.

Taking over Lemarié may have been the bigger challenge. "It was my mission to dust off this venerable house. I brought in new techniques, a more contemporary approach, and a younger staff. I decided that you don't really need to do everything by hand when a machine does the job just as well. I've tried to mix things up, to introduce something new while maintaining the tradition and savoir-faire. Lemarié employed seventeen people when I arrived, six years ago. Now we are ninety, mostly young people between 20 and 35. It's been an incredible experience."

Last year, Kocher decided to use her various experiences to launch Koché, her own fashion venture (she has since quit Bottega Veneta, but remains Creative Director of Lemarié). "After 13 years of working for the big fashion houses, where I gained experience, maturity and a method, it felt like it was time to do things my way, without having an investor or anyone else telling me what to do. It's a challenge, but one that’s manageable. Finding ways to lead your own house, like Rei Kawakubo or Dries Van Noten have done in the past, is a creative act that I find very inspiring. You need to create clothes and your own style, but you also need a business structure that reflects your personality and your image."

"My work at Lemarié is all about revisiting the heritage of haute couture, and that was also the starting point for my own brand, where I take that heritage and mix it with streetwear and sportswear. I wanted to create this blend of genres and styles, and develop a brand that targets a younger market, while still using the savoir faire of houses like Lemarié, Lesage or Montex, that are usually associated with couture or high-end ready-to-wear. I see to it that some of the pieces, t-shirts for instance, remain affordable, but others are practically couture, and therefore more expensive. That said, I don't really make a distinction between them. The attitude is the same."

"I constructed my first show in a way that is similar to my clothes. The setting, in Les Halles, seemed obvious from the beginning, because it brings together everything I stand for. The shopping center is in the heart of Paris, and with the train station underneath, it also functions as a connection to the suburbs. It's a real place, with real people. It was important for me to have the show open to the public. I didn't want it to be elitist. It took us a lot of time and effort to get permission. I used top models, and real girls with average bodies that we found on the street. I wanted it to be real, but at the same time, I also needed it to be high fashion. Looking back, there was a lot of positive energy. We had this momentum. People got goose bumps. They were moved. I want my next show to be in the same vein, somewhere exciting, and open to everyone. It might be more difficult after the November attacks, but the people at City Hall are helping me. I am convinced that creativity can also be a response to violence and terror."

Angelo Seminara has worked as a hair artist for top brands, like Lancôme, Roberto Cavalli and Givenchy. He also creates hair for advertising, editorials and has worked with several magazines, such as the Italian Vogue.

“But also, I am really close to the hairdressing world and the education. Ever since I started doing hairdressing, I love to share my passion with my colleagues and to help them,” he gushes. “By helping them, they help me.”

To add to his profound list, Seminara is the creative director for the renowned, sustainable beauty brand Davines. They have a huge range of organic products suiting anyone’s needs, with one of their most recent releases – the OI All in One Milk (€26.40 for 135ml) – having many different functions to tend to any type of hair. The OI range has 6 products in total, also including a beautifying hand cream and a moisturizing shower gel. They can be bought in a number of hair salons throughout the Netherlands. We spoke to Angelo Seminara to find out more about his work for Davines and his personal work.

Can you tell me why you decided to work from 2011 with Davines?“It has been a very, very nice and spontaneous collaboration actually. It happened in a very natural way. Davines called me because they were launching a new ammonia and odor free color, revolutionary in the market. And they asked if I would be interested in creating a new collection. I went to meet them in Parma, talked about the concept and the brand, and I felt immediately at home. They asked me if I wanted to be the artistic director, and I said yes.”

My main inspiration has always been mother-nature

What did Davines like about your work?“I think my creativity, my imagination, my experience, my background and my love of innovation. I always try to innovate, just like Davines.”

Please tell about your inspiration…“Yes. My main inspiration has always been mother-nature. It may have something to do with the fact that I was born in a small village, and needed to use my imagination all the time. Plus, my uncle is a doctor for plants, and taught me a lot about plants. Because I was so close to nature, I’ve always observed in a superficial way, so I kind of absorbed all the textures, colors of nature. This always comes to my mind when I create hairstyles.”

So you treat hair also as a fabric? You print on it.“Yes, I screen printed on hair. My dream was to create a new revolutionary technique in coloring hair that looks absolutely natural, so that you don’t even see that it has been colored.”

I saw that you also worked with hemp; can you tell something about that?“Yes, together with Judith Clark! She is an amazing professor/curator in fashion and art. The reason we worked with hemp is because we started collaborating on this exhibition called “Washed up,” which was showed in Selfridges in London.

For Washed up, the mannequins wore designer fashion by Alexander McQueen, Givenchy and other top brands. Judith asked me to design something to cover the mannequin heads as part of the exhibition. I used hemp because it was also the same color of the mannequins.

After that I worked with Judith in Mexico designing the hair for Frida Kahlo’s costumes. You know Frida Kahlo’s costumes were kind of locked in a room for 50 years, Diego Riviera which was the artist, husband. Basically he locked all the clothes and told everyone not to touch them. After he died Vogue Mexico and Judith Clark called me and asked me if I could re-design all the hair for her personal clothes. I was like this is the most amazing thing that I have ever done in my life. We don’t know when, but we want to bring it into the world.”

I like blow drying my hair, which Davines product would you advise?“The blow dry primer, it’s an anti-humidity, purifying tonic. It’s a really great product. It gives the hair body, softness and volume and it keeps the shine. It also maintains the blow dry thanks to the anti-humidity.”

With Davines I wanted to get rid of all the plastics in products

Can you describe your favorite hair?

“That’s natural and beautiful hair. I don’t like too much products hair like we saw the 80’s. With Davines I wanted to get rid of all the plastics in products. Most of the products are full of silicones. I don’t like that. The hair needs to reflect the person and needs to reflect the beauty from within.”

If you would be a woman, how would you wear your hair?“Good question, I would be Michelle Pfeifer in Scarface with a classic bob. She didn’t need anything in her hair. It looked amazing and sensual. And I want it to be blond.”

“My food is made by my own people,” says Jeremy Scott. He just finished a burger. A veggie burger. “I am a vegetarian, so all things are especially made by me. Hahaha spoiled!”It’s not always easy being a vegetarian in Paris, mocks Scott, even in a nice place like the posh Peninsula Hotel where I meet him, ready to show his third Moschino collection in Milan. He just launched his first perfume for Adidas. “I designed the bottle as well, and worked for two years on the fragrance.”

Can we expect more beauty?“I love the idea doing beauty! That’s something very exited for me. I would love to do make-up, I thought already about that, but then I need the support of the right kind of company, I didn’t really think about that part yet. First step one.”

You did quite some collabs in your carreer, a shoe with Adidas must have been the first one?“Yes. The first was only 100 shoes, later in 2006 I did an Adidas shoe with a tracksuit, with the Keith Haring foundation, and I still work with Adidas, and also with Longchamp for years.

Why? Yeah. The reason I wanted to do Adidas was because of the reach. The fact that I could have my ideas not be compromised, be able to do something challenging with mass production and have a global reach and have a price point that was still accessible for people without compromising quality.

For me, I could not achieve that on my own, I am too small, don’t produce enough and don’t have that reach. I would say – for other brands – they all have their own reasons – but I think they are quite similar.”

Are there collabs you turned down?“Sure. If it’s a thing I am not inspired by. I only do things I am inspired by. Well I don’t wanna be rude, but there are lots of offers I had that I didn’t felt passionate about. All kinds – shoes, apparel everything…cars. I am not giving my name to a product for a check, other designers do that maybe and that is fine, but for me is how can I bring my creativity.”

I saw you almost have a million followers on instagram, how important is social media for you nowadays?“I love it. I love to be able to communicate things directly to my fans. The thing that separates me from other designers: other designers have clients, but I also have fans! They are really passionate of what I am doing, passionate about my different projects, about my life. Social Media is a wonderful way of connecting. My work in fashion has always been about connecting, communicate with people. So instagram is just a great communication tool in that way. It’s also kind of addictive, but for me it’s fun, and a way to connect with people I would not have otherwise.

Does it help in sales?“I would imagine yeah. If I have new shoes, I am able to reach people on my own, besides whatever reach Adidas would have, or whatever reach Vogue would have, or whoever is talking about it.”

Whatever you do, your style has always been very outspoken, “Either people looooove or haaaaate my work. That’s just the way it is. My intensions are good and if people want to come along for the ride, then great, but if they don’t, then fine, but don’t stand in my way because the train is gonna come through no matter what."

Either people looooove or haaaaate my work. That’s just the way it is

Did you expect the success from the first Moschino show?“I hoped for it, hahaha.”

You made the Moschino very happy I guess?They have been super supportive and positive by all my ideas and very nurturing. From my creative ideas to my business ideas, as the capsule collection. Great. They had no prove that is was going to work. Then it worked and even better again this seasons.”

Did you expect people fighting for Barbie dolls?“Haha I kind of imagined it sadly yes. There were only 120 dolls, just for the front row. I have one. Luckily.”

Great idea selling Moschino-stuff that is right available!“Thank you. Just as you asked about social media, people like things they see online, and they don’t resume why it is not popping on their phone. So I thought why don’t we make it really instant fashion? And make a part of the collection that is right a way available. It’s so exiting stuff, so why six month waiting? You know all the factories in Asia are copying my shoes and cellphone cases, so this is also away to beat them.”

By the way, I once met Franco Moschino in the eighties.“Wooow. How amazing!”

I recently wrote an article about him, and he once said “I wish I was born in London instead of Italy, because there my style was very quickly adapted, the Italians came much more later.“Hahahaa. For me the Europeans have definitely been more supportive. I started nineteen years in Paris. Karl Lagerfeld was really supportive, and the Japanese as well. After six years, I moved to LA, I showed in New York and moved the shows back to Paris, and then back. Haha. I’ve also showed in London. I wanted also to have an interesting career, I now have the legacy of New York and Paris, and I think that’s kind of great. I have a global reach.”

Moschino always said fashion meant fun for him, what about you?“For me the same thing. I also want to bring joy to people. You know there are so many serious things in the world, and I just choose not to be one of them. If you turn on the news everything is so .. scary. What I do is light-hearted, it makes people smile.”

Do you read critics of your shows?“Honestly: I don’t really care. I don’t do my collections for critics. I do my collections for my fans. So for me it’s the reactions from my fans that I actually care about. Way more than I am more curious about and concerned about because if they like me I know I am doing the right thing.”

Jean Paul Gaultier says she is the ultimate Parisienne: Farida Khelfa. MIRROR MIRROR speaks the beautiful Schiaparelli ambassador at the Schiaparelli maison at Place Vendôme.

How would you describe maison Schiaparelli?“Eclectic, open, funny and rigorous. But above all eclectic.”

You’re the ambassador of maison Schiaparelli. How would you describe your task? “Ha yes, my job sounds a bit mysterious. Well, I work here with everyone, with the studio, the couture department, the atelier and I meet clients. I am involved at each stage of every process - from the sketch to the show. We have done three collections now and have to build the house.”

What was your motivation to take this job?“Because the name Schiaparelli is so big in the fashionworld. I’ve heard so much about Elsa Schiaparelli, first in the eighties, while working with Azzedine Alaïa who talked about her. My friend Jean Paul Gaultier also loves Schiaparelli. So to me it was like a dream to build this house and brand that is so full of mystery and so inspiring the designers of today. I mean Schiaparelli was - and still is - like a goldmine for every designer. For me this job is really an opportunity, though when I was asked for making a movie, but I couldn’t say no because it’s such a wonderful brand.“If I dive into the archive, I see all those amazing embroideries, or the famous zipperdress that was so innovative in the thirties… Schiaparelli is the DNA of fashion, for all the designers.”

Which Schiaparelli items do you like to wear?“The highwaisted pants are very me, I have a preference for pants. And I love suits, I feel really comfortable in them.”

Do you only wear couture?“Noooo! I wear Zara, H & M and other brands. I mix. Just like Schiaparelli who put cheap plastic buttons on expensive Lesage embroidered jackets. A total look of one prêt-à-porter house is not that interesting, it’s boring. Except when it’s couture."

Are you interested in perfumes“Yes I love it. And I also love make up, all the girl things! I can spend hours in Sephora, more then in clothes shop.”

Did you ever smell Schiaparelli’s Shocking fragrance?“It’s too old, I know it was a very strange fragrance, but I never smelled it.”

Isn’t it very special that couture still exists?“You know there are a lot of young women from all over the word who buy couture? It’s a whole bunch of new clients. It’s very interesting to make your own story with couture, if you can afford it off course. And yes those young clients understand how much effort goes into making a special dress, that it can take 300 hours for Lesage just to make the embroideries.

Does Schiaparelli attract more young people nowadays?“Hopefully yes, hahaha, but we don’t have a certain type of client in mind, we have young and older clients, we dress everyone.

Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue (she died in 1989) now has a line of fragrances in her name. The brand was created by her grandson, Alexander Vreeland. All scents are named after favorite Vreeland exclamations, like Absolutely Vital, Perfectly Marvelous, and Simply Divine.

MIRROR MIRROR met Alexander Vreeland in Amsterdam, Holland, where he just visited the tiny village Vreeland. “The Vreelands moved in 1637 from Vreeland to New York. Twelfth generation,” explains Alexander Vreeland.

Is there something of Diana’s character in the fragrances?“In designing the brand I wanted to take two sides of my grandmother. Her passion for colors, and also her use of words. Those two elements… the words … it was such fun! The name Absolutely Vital came quickly. There are a lot of expressions she used, I went trough all her books. In my computer I have many quotes of her, and I keep looking for them. I wanted to imbue as much of her in de perfumes as I could.”

From words to smell, wasn’t that hard?“We just started with different ideas, and finished up with five fragrances that we really love, and they are the beginning of a collection.Simply Divine is a tuberose by Clement Gavarry, it’s the most popular fragrance.Outrageously Vibrant is a chypre-floral composition, signed by Carlos Benaim. Extravagance Russe was created as homage to my grandmothers love of Orientalism. It’s a warm, modern fragrance with amber.”

Is it true that your grandmother, during her tenure as a special consultant of the Costume Institute at the Met, once organised an exhibition and sprayed perfume everyday?“Yes, I think it was a Russian expo, and the perfume must have been Cuir de Russe by Chanel. Scent in a museum, it was the first time ever.”

Very striking are both the bottles and packaging, so colourful!“That was my idea, but what I first did was all wrong. It looked cheap. Then Fabien Baron looked at it and made it really sophisticated. We added the tassel for fun. The top of the box has the same colour as the tassel. Inside the box are quotes by grandmother.”

Recently the sixth scent was launched, is this the last one? “No! We are just starting, we are getting up to 12 or 15! There is also a body crème and new products are coming up. I think we can go into all areas of the beauty world, like red lipstick and red nail polish.”

Gee, you can open a whole shop within a while!“Ha, that won’t happen.”

Let’s talk about your style…“I was brought up with very classic elements. My mother always bought me navy sweaters, Lacoste shirts and desert boots. So all of the elements I grew up with are all very classic and so to this day my favourite is grey woollen suit (Vreeland is wearing one by Prada) and simple broadcloth shirts, classic shoes and so on. My taste has always been for very classic things.”

Has your grandmother been an influence on your style?“She has never never told me how to dress, or pushed me in a certain direction in terms of clothes. She was more a force in helping me find what I liked in things. She was never somebody who said, you have to do this or do that. What was so wonderful about her is that she was very inspiring to help me find my own voice in my life. I never thought I was going into fashion I think that was the last thing I was going to do and then all of a sudden, 30 years ago things come together and I became head of communication for Ralph Lauren, a wonderful period and fascinating experience.”

Do you follow fashion?“I love what Miuccia Prada does. I think Prada is the most exiting and interesting company today: the creativity, ideas, leadership, sophistication, the elegance. I can really relate to this.”